Anti-Graft war: Corrupt Nigerians cough out N473bn

*Diezani, banks account for N59bn
By Samuel Ogidan
In 2017 alone, corrupt Nigerians and organisations coughed out the sum of N473billion to the Federal Government, the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, has said.
He also disclosed that $98.258million and Euro 7.247million were also recovered by the agency from the dubious Nigerians and organisations.
Of the amount, N32billion and $5million was retrieved from the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Magu, who appeared on Monday before the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes to defend the 2018 budget of the agency, listed other recoveries by the commission as a��294,851.82, Dirham 443,400 and 70,500 South African Rands.
Part of the breakdown of the recovered loot were N449 million and additional $43 million said to have been discovered at Legico Plaza in Victoria Island and Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos respectively.
Other looted but retrieved monies, according to the EFCC boss were N329 billion from unnamed petroleum marketers through its Kano office; withholding tax of over N27.7 billion from sundry banks and a��6.6 million from the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
About N1.1 billion was also recovered on behalf of the Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) and over N4 billion from undisclosed subsidy fraudsters.
Magu lamented that delay in the release of funds to the anti-corruption agency was hampering its operations, adding that “delayed and irregular release of the overhead components of the recurrent vote affected the commission’s investigation and prosecution activities, especially in the zonesa�?.
He clarified the controversy surrounding the issue of whistleblowers, as he said that government had been paying the promised incentives.
Also yesterday, the House ordered the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) to account for N56milion remittances it made to the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) in 2013.
The House Committee on Public Accounts, which gave the order, noted that in 2013, tax payments of the agency were reflected in 2014.
The directive of the Committee on NERDC followed the queries raised by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.
The Committee Chairman, Hon. Kingsley Chinda (PDP Rivers), also asked officials of the Ministry of Environment to recover a pick-up van allegedly declared missing since 2014.